Improvement in ore-separators



C. BENNETT 8v P. BURNHAM.

Ore-Separator.

. te ted Dec. 30,1879.

NVENTOR MPETERS FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASmNGTON. D c.

UNITED TATES PAT ENT ()FFICE;

CORNELIUS BENNETT AND PARKER BURN HAM, OF SILVER CITY, TERRITORY OF NEWMEXICO.

IMPROVEMENT IN ORE-SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,102, dated December30, 1879 application filed July 17, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CORNELIUS BENNETT and PARKER BURNHAM, of SilverCity, in the county of Grant and Territory of New Mexico, have inventeda new and Improved Ore'Separator, of which the following is aspecification.

Figure l is a top view of our improved machine. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section of the same, taken through the line w :10, Fig. 1Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection of the same, taken through the lineyy, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section of the revolvingpulverizing-cylinder, taken through the line 2 2, Fig. 2.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved apparatus forseparating gold and other metals from dirt and other sediment by what isknown as the dry process, and which shall be simple in construction,convenient in use, and effective in operation.

The invention consists in combining detachable riffles connected attheir ends by side bars, the cross-bar R, swiveled screw S, and archedcrossbar with the separator-spout; also, in combining with the separatorsuspensiorrcords,

guide-eyes, drum, crank-Wheel, arch-bar, and pivot-pin, all ashereinafter described.

A represents the frame-work of the machine, the forward part of which ismade low, and its rear part is extended upward. To the forward uppercorners of the rear part of the frame A are pivoted the forward cornersof a frame, B, to the rear corners of which are attached the ends of tworopes or chains, 0. The ropes or chains 0 pass over pulleys D, pivotedto the projecting upper ends of the rear corner-posts of the frame A,pass down along the outer sides of the said posts, and their ends areattached to small drums E, pivoted to the lower parts of the said posts.The drums E are provided with hand-wheels or cranks for convenience inoperating them, and should be provided with pawls and ratchet-wheels tohold them in any position into which they may be turned.

F is a furnace, to the sides of which are attached the lower ends of thebars f, the 11pper ends of which are attached to the side bars of theframe B. The top of the furnace F is arched to adapt it to serve as ajacket to the cylinder G. The cylinder G is hollow, is open at bothends, and is attached to the shaft H, which revolves in bearingsattached to the end bars of the frame 13. To the inner sur face of thehollow cylinder G are attached a number of longitudinal flanges, g, tokeep the dirt stirred up while passing through the said cylinder topulverize it, and insure its being thoroughly dried.

To the rear cross-bar of the frame B is attached a spout, I, to guidethe material into the open rear end of the cylinder-G.

With this construction, by turning the drums E a greater or lessinclination may be given to the cylinder G and furnace F, to cause thedirt or sediment to pass faster or slower through the said cylinder G,as circumstances may require.

If desired, the frame 13, furnace F, and cylinder G maybe supported andadjusted by hand-screws, the cords, pulleys, and drums C D E beingomitted.

The forward end of the cylinder G projects beyond the furnace F, and iscovered by a hood or cap, J, the lower part of the disk of which is cutaway to form a dischargeopea ing, and the lower part of its-1'im beneaththe said discharge-opening is extended to form a spout, j, or has adischarge-spout attached to it to guide the discharged material into theseparator K.

To the opposite sides of the upper end of the separator K are attachedthe ends of two cords or chains, L, which pass through guidecyes oraround guide-pulleys M, attached to the front cross-bar of the frame Band to the side posts of the frame A, and their ends are attached to adrum or shaft, N. The journals of the drum or shaft N revolve inbearings attached to the side posts of the frame A, and to one of thesaid journals is attached a crank or hand-wheel, O, for convenience inturning the said shaft or drum to raise and lower the rear end of theseparator K, as may be desired, to hasten or retard the passage of thedirt through the said separator.

The shaft or drum N should be provided with a ratchet-wheel and pawl tohold it in any position into which it may be turned.

The lower part of the separatorKrests upon the middle part of the archedbar or stationary rocker P, the ends of which are attached to the topframe A.

To the highest point of the arched bar P is attached a pin, 9, whichenters a hole in the lower side of the lower part of the separator andkeeps it in place, while serving as a fulcrum upon which it may rock andoscillate freely. The bottom of the separator K is concaved, as shown inFig. 3, and to the said bottom, at the upper end of the said separator,are attached two or three cleats, k, which eX- tend alternately from oneside nearly to the other, formiu g a zigzag passage for the materialfrom the upper end of the separator, where it is received, to the,riffles Q. The riffles Q side bars of the lower part of the V are soformed as .to tit the concave bottom of the separator K, and their endsare attached to side bars which fit against the sides of the saidseparator.

To the middle part of the side bars of the riffles Q are attached theends of a cross-bar, R, to the center of which is swiveled the end of ahand-screw, S. The hand-screw S passes down through a screw-hole in thecenter of the bar T, the ends of which are bent downward and areattached to the sides of the separator K. Vith this construction, byturning the screw S the riftlcs Q may be raised from the bottom of theseparator K, toallow the dirt and gold stopped by the said riffles topass down to the settler U, when desired.

The settler Uis a shallow cup, which is pivoted at the center of itsbottom to the front cross-bar of the frame A. To the rear part of thebottom of the settler U is attached a pin, o, to receive the slottedforward end of the lever V, which is pivoted to the lower side of thecenter of the arched bar P.

The rear end of the lever V is slotted to receive a pin, '0 attached tothe bottom of separator K, so that the movement of the said separator Kmay oscillate the settler U to keep the dirt stirred up, and cause it topass out over the edge of the said settler, while the gold or othermetal settles to the bottom.

' To the upper end of the separator K is pivoted the inner end of aconnecting-rod, W, the outer end of which is pivoted to the crankpin ofa crank-wheel, X, attached to the end of a short shaft, Y, whichrevolves in bearin gs attached to a side post of the frame A.

To the other end of the shaft Y is attached a pulley, Z, around whichpasses an endless belt, A, which also passes around a pulley, B,attached to the driving-shaft G. The shaft 0 revolves in bearingsattached to the cross-bars of the forward part of the frame A, and to itis attached a pulley, D, to receive the driving belt, and a pulley, E,around which passes a belt, F. The belt F passes around a pulley, G,pivoted to the side posts of the frame A, and with it is rigidlyconnected a smaller pulley, H, around which passes an endless belt, I.The belt I also passes around a pulley, J, attached to the forwardjournals of the pulverizing-cylinder G, for giving motion to the saidcylinder G.

To the arched top of the furnace F is attached the stack K, throughwhich the smoke and other incombustible products of combustion escape,and which should be made of such a height as will give the requisitedraft to the furnace.

The operation is as follows: The wet dirtis guided by the spout I intothe cylinder, where it is dried, pulverized, and carried forward to bedischarged on the riffles, which retard and regulate the flow ofpulverized dirt to the separator. From thence the gold and dirt arecaused to pass down to the settler, which is a shallow pan withaforwardly and backwardly jerking motion. It also rocks on its center tocause the gold to settle at the bottom, while the dirt is made to dropover the edge.

What we claim as new is 1. The combination of the detachable riffles Q,connected at their ends by side bars, the cross-bar It, the swiveledscrew S, and the arched cross-bar T with the separator-spout K,substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the suspension-cords, guide eyes or pulleys, andshaft or drum L M N, the connecting-rod and crank-wheel W X, and thearched bar and its pivot-pin Pp with the separatorK,substantially asherein shown and described.

CORNELIUS BENNETT. PARKER BURNHAM. Vitnesses:

E. MARRIAGE, R. V. NEwsHAM.

